‏"ملخص الأحداث والتدابير الرئيسية التي اتخذها سمو نائب الملك اللورد كرزون من كيدلستون، نائب الملك والحاكم العام للهند في إدارة الخارجية. ‏I‏. يناير ١٨٩٩-أبريل ١٩٠٤. ‏II‏. ديسمبر ١٩٠٤-نوفمبر ١٩٠٥. المجلد IV. بلاد فارس والخليج الفارسي". [ظ‎‎١‎٩] (٣٨٦/٤٣)

Chapter III.
SEISTAN.
«And when the hour strikes, it seems to me as well
«that Seistan should be waiting to be regenerated by us,
“instead of having already been absorbed in the regenerative
“ embraces of others
—Extract from a Minute by Lord Curzon,
The awakening of British interest in Seistan is of. recent date. In
-iftftQ fpn years before Lord Curzon’s assumption of office in India, a Consul-
looJ, ten y General had for the first time been posted
The position in Seistan prior to 1899. the capital of Khorasan. The appoint
ment was the reply to a corresponding measure on the part of. Russia. The
importance of Seistan had since been forced with more and more insistence upon
the notice of the Indian Government. In his work on Persia published in
1892, Lord Curzon bad dwelt with special emphasis on British interests in
this region. He had urged the opening of a trade route from Quetta j he had
mootecl the question of railway extension from India to the Persian border; he
had proposed the appointment of a British Representative at Nasratabad.
Various British officers had since visited the district. Colonel Yate had made
a tour thither in 1891; and had formulated proposals which closely followed
those outlined by Lord Curzon. He had urged the immediate appointment of
a British Indian representative to balance the Russian Native Agent, who had
already acquired considerable local influence. He had dwelt on the com
mercial potentialities of the district; and had recommended the institution of a
postal service via Seistan to Meshed, the construction of a line of wells from
Nushki to the Persian border, the planting of levy posts along the route, and
the encouragement of an overland trade from India through Baluchistan. But
the Government of India were not prepared to act. They feared that any
evidence of British interest in Seistan would merely lead to Russian movements
in the same direction, and would tempt the Russians to extend their railway
southwards. Two years later, Captain McMahon prepared a memorandum in
which he laid before the Indian Government the conclusions which had forced
themselves upon him in the course of demarcation of the Baluch-Afghan
border. He, too, urged the opening of the route already negatived in 1894,
the adoption of proper measures for its protection, and the exercise of British
authority up to the Persian border. The Government were now convinced:
the proposals were laid before the Secretary of State, and received his full
approval. In November 1898, a new political post was created at Chageh
midway from Quetta to the Persian border; and Captain Webb-Ware, the first
Political Officer, received instructions to establish levy posts and foster trade.
In January of the following year, this officer started on his first visit to
Seistan. He was closely followed by an Indian Medical Officer, Major
Brazier-Creagh. The plague had appeared in India; and the Russian Govern
ment had announced its intention to adopt preventive measures in Persia.
The Government of India had, therefore, determined to take all reasonable
piecautions in Seistan, and thus anticipate the extension of Russian sanitary
contiol in Southern Eliorasan. But Major Brazier-Creagh was soon with-
drawn. A year later, fresh measures were forced upon the Government of
India. Reports from Meshed announced the appointment of a Russian
Vice-Consul m Seistan; and Major Sykes was despatched from his post at